the wit and wisdom of whirleygirl

Buongiorno!

Well now that the jet lag has passed, and the fact that i no longer am walking up to strangers asking "Parla inglese? " utilizing a horrible American accent, I can mentally process what a great trip we had to Italy. Truly - it was a great 10 days. We ended up spending 3 days in Rome, about 6 days in the Tuscany region , and a day in Florence.  I could go on and on as each day brought it's own adventure but alas, some of my "favorito":

* there were murals and frescoes everywhere! Seriously...even on the ceilings of some of our hotel rooms. Art is definitely incorporated into life there in such a different way than it is here. Although still considered "precious" it was much more touchable there than i find it is here in the States. I love that!!

*Yes, all the ruins are spectacular and amazing but the Crypt of the Capuchin Monks, beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione is truly unbeliveable. It is a bit morbid but there is beauty in that i suppose. The link explains it all but PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THESE IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME.

* My American coffee drinking experience is now forever ruined. Italian "caffee" has changed everything. Seriously. This was in my inbox when we got home, explains it all, and brought tears to my eyes. MMMM. i can smell it from here...

Also, food wise, i  discovered fresh Asiago cheese (thanks Chris! ) ..I'm not even a huge cheese person but oh my goodness - YUM!

oh yeah, one word...gelato.  *sigh*

* If in the Tuscany region, Radda is a great place peruse and have lunch. The ricotta and spinich dumplings i ordered came served in the shape of the most perfect star sitting atop tomato puree - gorgeous! (yes, i am one of those weird people that take pictures of their food.) There were many vineyards/wineries to stop at along the way for tastings as well.

* In Sienna, we met a delightful artist,Silvia Tanganelli, whose watercolor landscapes truly capture the essence of Tuscany . Although her website is in Italian, you can see some of her work here. 

* I laughed when we got home and looked at all the pictures i had taken - they were of my meals, my espressos, or close-ups of all the carved stonework and door knockers that were everywhere! If i ever get around to starting a Flicker account, I'll share all the pics.

Well, that was a "piccollo" glimpse of our experience...hope I wasn't too long winded!! It is always good to get away, and then good to get back home. I had to start painting right when i got home because i felt like I had gone so long without. New creations being introduced to the world on Wednesday - come take a peek!!

Ciao Bella!

Arrivederci!

Well, we are off to Italy! I'm excited and nervous all at once and am convinced I haven't packed the right outfits! I did make sure to pack my sketch book and my camera is ready to capture all that awaits us. Have a great week!

SHOP NOTE: Although I will be far, far away eating lots of pasta, you can still place orders at the etsy shop or the main whirleygirl designs webshop. They will be filled beginning Monday June, 23rd.

Playing catch up...

The secret is keeping busy, and loving what you do.
Lionel Hampton

I hope this is true! :)  Things have been super busy lately but busy with all sorts of fun things - even the work stuff! Finishing up projects of all shapes and sizes, traveling to weddings and bridal showers galore, and....getting ready for our trip to Italy!! All good things but good things that keep a person busy, busy, busy! As the weekend is upon us, a good time to play a little catch up with all the random thoughts and questions that are swimming in my mind...

* The trip to Italy...we'll be leaving next week for Rome and Florence. Any suggestions of great things and places not to miss? Anything i should make sure to bring with me ?

* I am going to make these oreo truffles this evening to bring to a birthday party tomorrow. Yum-yum!!

* Yesterday, For the first time in my life, my back "went out on me." (that sounds so odd...) Literally, I was fine one second, bent over to pick something up, and *bam* i couldn't stand up straight. The pain was excruciating..i was stuck in various places in the house all day long - it really was comical at times. (A big thanks to those of you that helped me get "unstuck." :) ) I'm moving around a bit better today ..Anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent this from happening again?

* Totally addicted to the game Singstar for PS3. Seriously, nothing better than singing with friends in our living room at the top of our lungs. I don't care what anyone says, we ALL have an inner rock star that is just waiting to come out!

* Just an FYI, there will be no giveaway in June - too much life happening but will do the next one in July. I've got new stuff in the works that i can't wait to debut in July!!

Have a great weekend - make sure you stay busy will all the things you love!

You're a superstar!

I painted this little ditty in the dress-up area of a playroom - including rhinestones on the wall and glitter paint for that extra touch of bling! The parents have turned their entire finished basement into the most creative and inviting play area - there is an art area, little playhouse, and reading area as well -and now this "Hollywood wall" is the final piece for the little superstars!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. We traveled to Wisconsin for the first of five weddings we have been invited to this summer. This one was in Lake Geneva - it was a great location and we had a blast. Congratulations Leeana and Rob!!

On the way home we stopped at Taliesin which is located in Spring Green, WI - if you enjoy touring Frank Lloyd Wright spots, this is the place for you.

On the way home, we of course, had to stop for cheese curds! What's a trip to Wisconsin without getting some cheese??!!??  Yum,yum,yum...

Hello city life..

Just returned home from working on a mural at The Pumpkin Works in Paris,IL for the majority of last week. It is about 3 hours away so i stayed there and must say,it was fun to be working on just one project that was my only focus - on a normal day I have multiple projects going on at once which can often lead to slight delirium at times... Anywho, the muraling is in a black light room that is part of a maze - people will actually be sliding into this room - how cool is that??!!??. It was interesting to work with the black light paint and a true lesson was learned because as much as i fiddled with it, black light paint only does what it wants to!! One is limited with color options and because the space was so large, all the fun detail i love just got lost.  I kept reminding myself to just "go with it" and you know what?.. a super cool space was created and is almost complete! (When all is done and i get over my fear of climbing super high scaffolding, I'll show you a little peak.) This project was just another reminder to me that all does work out with a little patience and perseverance.

The Pumpkin Works is located on a farm and it made me smile to be greeted each morning by a horse, a few goats, super lovey dog, and numerous cats as i walked up to the work site each morning. A big thank you to the Staley's for their great hospitality!!

Now I am back home (i guess with two cats and a dog one could say we have a mini-farm of our own...mmm - not really) and jumping back into the swing of things - purple and orange magic wands will be added to the etsy shop early this week!

P.S. - the cute birdie canvas above is available here :)